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"They tell us it will take about 3 1/2 hours to shoot," Klak said.
Klak's wife and partner Debbie and his daughter Mickey Avery, who owns the Sullivan McDonald's, also were to be featured in the video.
Mike and Debbie Klak own and operate McDonald's in Washington, Pacific, St. Clair, Union, Eureka, Allenton (Six Flags), Peerless Park and Fenton.
"The Pacific store was chosen for the video shoot because the storefront was wider, allowing a camera angle across the counter," Debbie Klak explained.
Mike Klak is to be recognized for his tenure with the franchise firm when the Central Division holds its annual convention.
As the convention stage is changed for different items on the agenda, giant screens, positioned so that they can be seen from all directions in the large meeting room, will play the 12-minute video.
During the Pacific shooting, one after another of McDonald's employees stepped forward to congratulate Klak on the honor.
"It is an honor," Mike Klak said. "I'm delighted and thrilled to do it."
Klak began with McDonald's serving burgers from the counter in Rock Island, Ill., while he was in high school.
"Actually, every employee was trained to do every job in the store, even mop the floor," Klak said. "And that's the way it still is today."
As he attended college, studying engineering, Klak continued to work at McDonald's stair-stepping up through the ranks of management from swing manager to assistant manager, general manager, supervisor over five stores, business consultant over 30 stores and department head over 300 stores.
"By the time I got out of college and started looking for a job in engineering, I was making twice as much at McDonald's as I could make as an engineer," he said. "So I never looked back."
He left his corporate position 33 years ago to become owner/operator of McDonald's in Washington. He opened the Pacific store in 1979, St. Clair in 1982 and Union in 1992.
"Our daughter Mickey bought the Sullivan store in 2002, making it a family business," Klak said. "We bought four additional stores in Eureka, Allenton, Peerless Park and Fenton in 2008."
Klak still carries around a 1958 manual that spells out how the franchise chain operated down to every detail, including how orange juice was mixed on the front counter fountain.
"McDonald's french fries are the gold standard," Klak said. "You buy the same french fries in every McDonald's every day."
Although he is happy with the career success he has enjoyed at McDonald's, he admits that he did not start out on the counter crew thinking of a future selling Big Macs and fries.
"I just wanted to make enough money to buy a gallon of gas," he said. "I worked part-time. One dollar would buy 3 gallons of gas. We'd go and have a lot of fun."
Klak said his loyalty to McDonald's is not unusual. Of the 30 or so individuals he met in the corporate family 50 years ago, several advanced to president of the company, others became executives or owner/operators.
"Almost all are still with the company or retired from the company," Klak said.
His goal with his 650 employees is to repeat the model of the corporation.
"I want them to do well and continue to grow with McDonald's" he said. "I want them to represent McDonald's in the community and be good citizens."
The No. 1 charge of every employee, from the day they enter the ranks of supervisors or managers, is to prepare other employees for promotion.
"That's their job from day one," Klak said, "to develop their people."
